This application claims the priority of Swiss Patent Application Serial No. CH 2001 0507/01, filed Mar. 19, 2001, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to a closing device for a filling pipe arranged on a container, and in particular refers to a closing device for a filling pipe for at least one container arranged on a rail-bound or road vehicle and moveable to a loading station for charging powder-like or granular bulk material, wherein the individual container has at least one filling pipe connected via an inlet opening with the interior of the container and closeable on the outside by a cover.
It is generally known to use rail-bound or road vehicles with one or more containers disposed thereon for loading and transport of bulk material, in particular powder-like bulk material in the form of cement or the like, wherein the containers have each at least one filling pipe for charging purposes in a loading station provided with one or more silo containers. When charging each container, the cover (weather protection) arranged on the filling pipe is initially removed or swung open relative to the filling pipe, and subsequently a charging head, connected with the silo container, is introduced into the filling pipe and container interior. After charging and removing the charging head, the cover is re-attached for transport onto the filling pipe, e.g. by means of a screw connection or the like. The container has further on one end a pipe for admission of pressure and on the other opposite end an outlet pipe for emptying under compressed air, when the filling pipe is closed and the outlet pipe is open.
Known transport containers experience the problem that the cover as well as the means for their securement are exposed to external conditions (summer and winter operation) and become severely contaminated during charging with dusty material such as cement or the like. Removal of the cover arranged on the filling pipe can be carried out only under consideration of respective safety regulations after relative time-consuming and cost-intensive cleansing of the cover and the fastening means. Moreover, the individual fastening means (screw connections) as well as the cover, which closes the filling pipe, are no longer operational after a relatively short period and have to be replaced in a relatively time-consuming and cost-intensive manner.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved closing device for a filling pipe arranged on a container, to obviate prior art shortcomings by providing a filling pipe, arranged on a container of the afore-stated type, with a closing device which overcomes the stated drawbacks of the mentioned prior art and enables a substantially dust-free charging of the container with respect to the elements provided on the outside in the area of the filling pipe and with respect to the environment.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a closing device according to the invention is characterized by a closure element supported in the container interior by a carrier arm and configured for engagement in and disengagement from a circular ring shaped sealing surface, associated to the inlet opening, in dependence on a pivot movement of the carrier arm whereby the pivot movement is oriented in a substantially horizontal plane, wherein the sealing surface is arranged either on an end of a hollow cylindrical insert member in coaxial relationship to the filling pipe, or on an end of the filling pipe which end projects into the container interior.
Further advantages as well as suitable further embodiments of the invention are apparent upon reading the following description in conjunction with the drawing and the individual claims.